Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medicine Hat and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Medicine Hat: $1,814 a month against $2,064 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Medicine Hat
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Medicine Hat Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,814

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medicine Hat and in Montreal

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medicine Hat and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,814 per month in Medicine Hat vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

Medicine Hat $1,814
Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $2,712 per month in Medicine Hat vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

Medicine Hat $2,712
Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $3,611 per month in Medicine Hat vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

Medicine Hat $3,611
Montreal $4,247

Medicine Hat is about 12% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medicine Hat and Montreal sit above the global median – Medicine Hat by 33%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.23 CA$21.38

$18.98 CA$26.64

-19.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 CA$98.1

$73.0 CA$102

-4.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 CA$13.78

$10.88 CA$15.27

-9.74%

Cappuccino

$3.76 CA$5.28

$3.81 CA$5.35

-1.31%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 CA$2.86

$1.94 CA$2.72

5.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.41

$1.58 CA$2.22

8.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.14

$6.37 CA$8.94

-20.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 CA$5.55

$7.26 CA$10.20

-45.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 CA$2.17

$2.23 CA$3.13

-30.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 CA$2.48

$3.17 CA$4.45

-44.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.86

$3.31 CA$4.64

4.53%

Eggs

$2.98 CA$4.18

$3.63 CA$5.09

-17.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.44 CA$13.25

$13.16 CA$18.47

-28.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.03 CA$15.48

$11.56 CA$16.22

-4.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.82 CA$17.99

$13.71 CA$19.25

-6.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 CA$4.45

$3.29 CA$4.62

-3.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.05

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.01

$3.37 CA$4.73

-15.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.23

$3.15 CA$4.42

18.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.80

$1.89 CA$2.65

43.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 CA$2.08

$1.79 CA$2.52

-17.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.67

$2.47 CA$3.47

5.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.21

$1.58 CA$2.22

-0.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.51 CA$16.15

$11.28 CA$15.84

2.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.61 CA$17.69

$10.49 CA$14.73

20.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.34

$2.34 CA$3.28

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 CA$4.47

$2.91 CA$4.09

9.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 CA$3.17

$2.61 CA$3.66

-13.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.9 CA$71.5

$79.1 CA$111

-35.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 CA$4.48

$3.26 CA$4.57

-2.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 CA$1.88

$1.44 CA$2.02

-6.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.41 CA$38.46

$33.43 CA$46.92

-18.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 CA$1.44

$1.33 CA$1.87

-22.56%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$24.3K CA$34.2K

$28.6K CA$40.2K

-14.96%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$20.0K CA$28.1K

$21.1K CA$29.6K

-5.05%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$165 CA$232

$80.1 CA$112

106.20%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$38.32 CA$53.8

$34.30 CA$48.14

11.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 CA$71.0

$42.85 CA$60.1

18.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$75.4

$31.14 CA$43.71

72.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.27 CA$49.49

$19.41 CA$27.24

81.71%

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 CA$20.19

$11.23 CA$15.76

28.14%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$541 CA$760

$525 CA$737

3.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.6K

$16.3K CA$22.9K

-1.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 CA$70.8

$58.0 CA$81.4

-13.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.44 CA$37.10

$38.11 CA$53.5

-30.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.2 CA$92.8

$93.4 CA$131

-29.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.6 CA$94.9

$110 CA$155

-38.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 CA$1,264

$1,285 CA$1,803

-29.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 CA$1,051

$977 CA$1,371

-23.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,483 CA$2,081

$2,271 CA$3,187

-34.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 CA$1,681

$1,665 CA$2,336

-28.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,369 CA$1,921

$5,139 CA$7,212

-73.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,930 CA$2,708

$3,834 CA$5,381

-49.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,973 CA$4,173

$3,002 CA$4,213

-0.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.48

0.67%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medicine Hat: October 25, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medicine Hat

$749 41.3%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 30.5% $228

Groceries & Markets

Medicine Hat

$319 17.6%

Montreal

$351 17% 9.9% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medicine Hat

$254 14%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 38.1% $97

Eating Out

Medicine Hat

$245 13.5%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 18.7% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Medicine Hat

$95 5.2%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 42.2% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Medicine Hat

$83 4.6%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 35.1% $29

Getting Around

Medicine Hat

$70 3.9%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 43.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Medicine Hat versus $1,285 in Montreal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Medicine Hat versus $73 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $319 vs $351 – making Medicine Hat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

10:01 10:01 AM

12:01 12:01 PM

2 h ahead of Medicine Hat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,997

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Medicine Hat Montreal 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Medicine Hat
Montreal

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medicine Hat vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 14% more than Medicine Hat, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,721 per month in Medicine Hat and $3,096 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medicine Hat, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $901 there versus $1,285 in Montreal.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,814 in Medicine Hat and $2,064 in Montreal. That’s a gap of about 14%.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Medicine Hat. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Medicine Hat, where all-in costs run around $1,814, than in Montreal at $2,064. In Medicine Hat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,814 in Medicine Hat to $2,064 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Medicine Hat is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 14% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.